Pesach is one of the most popular Jewish holidays.
First of the three major festivals of Jews, it has both historical and
agricultural significance. Pesach marks the beginning of the harvest
season in Israel. However, the primary reason cited for its observance
is related to the Exodus of Hebrew slaves from Egypt after generations
of slavery. 'Pesach' in Hebrew means 'Passing over' referring to the
fact that God 'passed over' the houses of the Jews while afflicting the
Egypt with the tenth plague. Hence the name of the festival is 'Pesach'
or 'Passover'. Christians also celebrate 'Passover' on the Jesus was
sacrificed with a view that 'Jesus was the sacrificial lamb of God that
delivered all mankind from the slavery of sins.
The name 'Pesach' is also said to have been picked up from the fact
that it was the name of the sacrificial lamb that was made in the Temple
on this holiday before Exodus. Other names for this holiday are 'Chag
he-Aviv', which means 'the Spring Festival', 'Chag ha-Matzoth', which
means 'the Festival of Matzahs' and 'Z'man Cherutenu', which means 'the
Time of Our Freedom'. The holiday is observed for eight days and Seder
is observed on its first two nights. The Fast of the Firstborn is
observed on the day before Pesach, which is a minor fast for all
firstborn males to commemorate the fact that firstborns of Israelites
were saved during the slaying in Egypt. Passover is a time for family
gatherings and happiness for Jews as it signifies that they are finally
free and are their own masters.
Passover 2009 Date: First night of Passover 2009 is April 8th.
